VALE LODGE No. 6632 was founded in 1948 consequent to a petition being presented to Grand Lodge, seeking permission for its formation. The petition had been signed by fifteen Brethren who became Founder Members of the Lodge at its inaugural meeting.
Five of the fifteen Founders were also members of Ferdinand de Rothschild Lodge No. 2420, our Mother Lodge. Ferdinand de Rothschild was and still is a well established Lodge, having been consecrated in 1892. It had also given ‘birth’ to another daughter lodge, Aylesbury, No 4534, which was consecrated in 1923.
As with any well established Lodge Ferdinand de Rothschild was developing at a healthy rate and a group of its most active Brethren decided to take the necessary steps to establish a new Lodge since the length of time required to achieve the Masters’ Chair in our Mother Lodge was becoming excessive.
The Founders meetings took place at the Millwright Arms, Aylesbury as did later committee meetings. From 1953 most of the committee meetings were held at The Olde Bulls Head, Market Square, Aylesbury before finally moving to the Masonic Centre in Ripon Street.
The name Vale was chosen to signify the Vale of Aylesbury, where it was hoped it would draw most of its members. It is represented on the Lodge crest by St. Mary’s Church, Aylesbury, being the centre point of the Vale of Aylesbury. At the time of the consecration it was the tallest building in the area and was thus visible from most points in the Vale.
The Lodge was consecrated by R W Bro. Maj. Gen. The Rt. Hon Lord Burnham CB. DSO MC. PGW. Provincial Grand Master, at the Masonic Hall Ripon Street, Aylesbury, on Thursday 29th April 1948.
The Founders and first officers of the Lodge donated their collars and jewels, and these are still being used by the officers of the Lodge to this day.
It is, perhaps, worth remarking that the Annual Subscription in 1948 was £ 1 ls Od (£ 1.05 in new money).
Back Row (Left to Right) W. Bro. W. Newton (Asst. Director of Ceremonies), Bro. J. NI Feasey (Almoner),
3ro. R. A. Cant (Senior Deacon), W. Bro. A. J. Hartley (Director of Ceremonies), Bro. S. W. Hartley
(Steward), Bro. B. Paxton ( Inner Guard), Bro. L R. du Plat (Junior Warden)
Front Row: Bro C M Spittles(Steward), Bro C T Rayner (Treasurer), Bro W C Harwood (Senior Warden), W. Bro. J. R. Bonham (Worshipful Master), W Bro W J Irons (Junior Deacon), W. Bro. S. F. Gibbons (Immediate Past Moster), Bro. E. C. Jones (Secretary)
Application to start a Lodge of Instruction to meet at the Masonic Hall, Ripon Street, Aylesbury on Monday evenings was made in 1951. To date the Lodge still meets regularly on Mondays.
By 1957 the Annual Subscription had risen to £5. 15s. 6d (£5. 77)
In November 1959 Mrs Rufus Ramsden donated a set of Working Tools to the Lodge.
In June 1962 Bro. A B Ramsden (Senior Warden) proposed that the Lodge purchase a set of Tracing Boards and a pair of Square and Compass. This proposal was seconded by W Bro. P Cannon and approved by the Bretheren.
In November of the same year Bro. A B Ramsden (Senior Warden) and W Bro. P Cannon presented and were thanked for a cushion for the masters pedestal.
The Masters Collar and Jewel is now further adorned with a shield and chain. The links of the chain are engraved with the names of Past Masters of the Lodge and the dates they were in office. This was presented in June 1963 by the Provincial Grand Secretary to commemorate W. Bro. A. J. Hartley’s 50 years in Freemasonry. The late W. Bro. A. J. Hartley served as secretary of the Lodge for many years.
By the end of 1966 the Annual Subscription had risen to £8. 8s. Od ( £ 8. 40): the Initiation Fee was £26 5s. Od (25 Guineas) and Dining Fees £O 15s. Od (£0.75).
In the early days of the Lodge there does not appear to have been a regular day for meetings. Meeting dates varied according to the availability of the Bulls Head for dining.
In June 1968 the Bulls Head advised an increase in dining fees from £O 15s. 6d plus 10% service charge to £ 0 17s. 6d plus 10% from Sept. 1968. The following extract is taken from the Lodge Minutes of Sept. 1969:
“Due to closure of the Bulls Head Hotel, alternative arrangements for dining facilities could possibly seriously affect dates of Lodge meetings in the future.”
From this time on the Lodge became somewhat nomadic dining at various venues in and around Aylesbury, for example in February 1969 the Festive Board was held at The Bucks Cadet Force HQ, Oxford Rd, Aylesbury whilst a year later the venue was The Chequers Inn, Weston Turville.
By the end of 1970 the Annual Subscription had risen to £10. Os. Od (£10. 00): the Initiation Fee was £30 Os. Od (£30.00). Also, for the first time a NON-dining membership fee of $5 Os. Od was introduced.
The following quote provides an interesting historical note, regarding the introduction of decimal currency. It was recorded, in the minutes, as follows:
“Every member paying the full rate of Annual Subscription when dining shall pay a further 50 New Pence, as the lodge shall determine from time to time.”
The meeting of November 1970 was notable since it was the first time the Broken Column was declared in decimal currency. The Lodge, continuing its nomadic ways, held the Festive Board at Hazells Sports Pavilion.
In June 1971 W. Bro. P Cannon paid £1 – 22 for a Ritual book; by 1979 the cost of a Ritual book had risen to £3 – 00.
By the end of 1980 the Annual Subscription (including dining fees) had risen to £ 40 – 00 and t h e Initiation Fee to £ 30 – 00.
During the early 1980s the Festive Board frequented many venues among them being the White Swan, Walton St, Aylesbury, (April 1982), The Five Bells, Weston Turville (January 1983), The White Swan, Walton St, Aylesbury, (September 1983), The Ranch House, Stoke Mandeville (May 1985) and The Hop Pole, Bicester Rd, Aylesbury (January 1986).
By the end of 1984 the Annual Subscription (including dining fees) had risen to £60 – 00.
The Installation meeting of May 20th 1987 marked the 60th year in Freemasonry of our Founding Master W. Bro. J R Bonham PPSGW. He commemorated this anniversary by opening the Lodge and presenting it with a donation for Ritual books for future Masons. He also presented a suitably engraved breast jewel to the Immediate Past Master, the late W. Bro. Stan Hall PPGSwdB, who, at the age of 80, had just completed his second term of office as master; his first term being in 1957. On this occasion the Festive Board was held at The Ranch House, Stoke Mandeville.
The next significant event in the chronology of the Lodge was the January meeting of 1989 when the Lodge Banner was dedicated. The following is taken from the minutes:
“The Worshipful Master then asked W. Bro. Rev J. R. Bennion PAG. Chaplain to occupy the Masters’ Chair during the ceremony for the Dedication of the banner.
The Dedicating officer then directed the Director of Ceremonies to form the Banner Procession which then withdrew from the Lodge.
The procession was admitted on a report and formed up. The Banner bearer W. Bro. J. R. Bonham then entered the Lodge with the Furled Banner and the Director of Ceremonies escorted him to take station before the Dedicating Officer
The Director of Ceremonies addressed the dedicating officer and asked him to accept the Banner
The Dedicating Officer directed that the banner be unfurled
The Prayer of Dedication was given by the dedicating officer and a Dedication Hymn was sung.”
The minutes also show it to be the first recorded Festive Board to be held at the Masonic Centre, Ripon Street, Aylesbury.
By the end of 1994 the Annual Subscription had risen to £90 – 00, the Initiation Fee to £ 65 – 00 and the non-dining membership fee to £ 50.
The photograph on the right shows our Founding Master, W Bro. J R Bonham PPSGW, at the Installation meeting of May
This was a very special occasion as it saw him celebrate 70 years in Masonry, a rare achievement.
It is, perhaps, interesting to reflect on the fact that by the time ‘Jimmy’ became our Founding Master he had already been a mason for 21 years!
Vale Lodge No. 6632 Installation May 1997
Back Row (Left to Right) Bro. M Clanfield (Junior Deacon), Bro. I. Rae, Bro. P. Durtnall, W. Bro. G. Brown
(Organist), W. Bro. G. Bond (Tyler), W. Bro. N. Peyton (Immediate Past Master), Bro. K. Edwards (Inner Guard), W Bro M Rawlings (Assistant Director of Ceremonies), Bro D Reynolds, Bro G Deering, Bro D Vallis (Senior Deacon), Bro M Turner.
Middle Row (Left to Right) Bro S Nichols (Junior Warden), W Bro C Griffin (Assistant Secretary), W Bro C Yetton (Almoner), W Bro W Locke, W Bro R McFahn, W Bro V C Richards (Chaplain), W Bro A Roberts, W Bro C N Bunkell, Bro D Hicks (Senior Warden)
Front Row (Left to Right) W. Bro. P. Bird, W. Bro. Rt. Hon. The Lord Burnham (Assistant Provincial Grand
Master), W. Bro. G. Caspers (Worshipful Master) W. Bro. J. R. Bonham (Founding Moster), W. Bro. M. White (Secretary)
50th Anniversary 20th May 1998. The VALE LODGE, No 6632, has reached its 50th anniversary – did the Founders realise what they were starting? Hopefully we, the Bretheren of the Lodge, are living up to the ideals they envisaged for us and will continue to do so long into the future.
To commemorate the anniversary three goblets, to be used at the Festive board by the Master and Wardens, were purchased and presented to the Lodge by Bro. Dave Vallis, then Junior Warden.